The Pope has condemned the UK's proposed Equality Bill for being in violation of natural law and for imposing "unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities", saying that these communities should fight the Bill with "missionary zeal"! He has stated his opinion so strongly because the Bill, in its current form, would take away some of the Church's liberties to deny employment rights for homosexuals. Even though priests and ministers will still be allowed these archaic homophobic rights, no other position of employment within the British Catholic Church will be. Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, has stated that the Pope's reasoned voice has been "formed by the treasures of the Christian heritage". So not only are these two highly influential religious voices failing to understand that there's no such thing as 'natural law' - a socially constructed concept with no basis in fact as there are plenty of examples of homosexuality in other animal species - but they are also blatantly proving that Catholicism (and probably Christianity by default!) is discriminatory, prejudiced and wholly incapable of producing a morality that is compatible with modern times.
Staunch Catholic Ann Widdecombe MP has also felt compelled to contribute, saying that this is a debate about religious freedom rather than homosexuality. But what about the freedom of homosexuals to not be repressed in a democratic society? At which point does it become okay for
anyone, regardless of their religious viewpoints, to say that a person is not allowed to fill a position of employment based purely on their sexual orientation, which shouldn't even have to be disclosed in the first place?! By a simple application of logic, if anti-discrimination legislation is open to exemptions, then it is still allowing discrimination; and religious freedom cannot be labelled as free if it is repressing others who are trying to be free.
Even though the disappointing opinions were hardly surprising from the decadent pontiff, I hope that most UK politicians will not listen to the simple immorality that has been spouted. Sadly, Gordon Brown has said it would be inappropriate for him to comment ... Coward!
